Tony Okot displays a bunch of bananas in his garden in Pader district. LWF supports farmers with cash grants and trainings in improved agronomic practices to improve food security, nutrition and livelihoods in the targeted areas.

About Us

About Us

Inspired by God’s love for humanity, we respond to human suffering and challenge its causes. We want to contribute to community development in Uganda through rights-based empowerment for sustainable development. We serve all people irrespective of ethnicity, gender, religion, race or political conviction.

The Lutheran World Federation’s Department for World Service offices in Uganda are dedicated to working against poverty, promoting justice and defending human rights. Encouraging community empowerment and self-reliance, DWS is committed to building people's capacity and competence to positively change their lives. LWF has been operating in Uganda since 1979, and has programs in the thematic areas of internally displaced people, returnee integration, sustainable livelihoods, community empowerment, human rights, malaria and HIV and AIDS.

Global Mandate

The Lutheran World Federation: 145 Member Churches in 98 Countries Worldwide

Mandated by the communion of LWF member churches to carry out effective and empowering diakonia addressing human suffering, injustice and emergencies, the Department for World Service works with and for vulnerable and crisis-affected populations to achieve justice, peace and sustainable livelihoods. World Service's uniqueness is to be locally rooted and globally connected. LWF Uganda is a country program of the LWF Department for World Service, and is aligned with its mission, vision and values.

Our Mission

Inspired by God's love for humanity, the LWF Uganda program responds to and challenges the causes and consequences of human suffering and poverty by facilitating the empowerment of people to achieve their rights.

Our Vision

The people of Uganda living…

• in a just society

• in peace and dignity

• united in diversity

• empowered to achieve their full potential

• to claim their universal rights

• to meet their basic needs

• and to improve their quality of life

Our Core Values

Dignity and justice

We respect the dignity of every person and empower vulnerable communities in their effort to achieve justice, human rights and a sustainable future. We address the underlying causes of poverty and exclusion, and work for a more equitable distribution of power, resources, and opportunities.

Compassion and commitment

We care and show compassion for those who are in need. At the same time, we are committed to professional humanitarian standards and accountability frameworks in our program management and implementation.

Respect for diversity

We see differences among us as the expression of the richness of God’s creation, and thus respect diversity within the communities we work in and in our workforce.

Inclusion and participation

We are committed to being inclusive and enabling the full participation of women and men, people of all ages, and people with disabilities in all our programs and decision-making processes, as well as in the larger society.

We understand that power dynamics, cultural norms, access to resources, and other factors create barriers to participation and we work to overcome these.

Transparency and accountability

We are strongly committed to transparency in all our activities, motives, aims, program, financial decisions, and results. We aim to ensure accountability toward affected populations and accountability to partners and donors.

Our Approach

Community Based Approach

Over the years, LWF Uganda has moved away from a service-delivery approach to increased focus on empowerment and community-led approaches. The community-based approach engages communities in the attainment of their own development goals. Through basic Participatory Rural Appraisal, LWF works in partnership with communities to conduct needs assessments and surveys at the local level, the results of which determine their development needs. Community participation is ensured throughout the process to enhance transparency, sustainability and ownership, by utilizing of the input and data collection of community volunteers even at the lowest level.

Integrated Approach

One of LWF Uganda’s program focus is the right to food and the right to an adequate standard of living. However, the program is keenly aware that the causes of food insecurity in rural communities are complex and require holistic approaches in order to find solutions. Two insights guide this approach. First, in order to prevent fragmentation of interventions which reduces impact severely, offering comprehensive development packages to small communities through intensive interaction is preferred to setting up area-wide programs affecting many loose individuals in communities. Group dynamic strengthens the impact on individual communities, while strong communal bonds are supported and encouraged. Strong groups can consequently withstand potential risks better than individual households, and the inclusion of vulnerable people in larger communities stimulate their advancement. Our work therefore directly addresses and facilitates the removal of these barriers individually in the targeted communities, tailoring development initiatives for each area to ensure that all areas can in the future partake in holistic and sustainable development.

Linking Relief, Rehabilitation to Development (LRRD)

Along addressing emergencies, LWF rolls-out the LRRD concept throughout its programmes to broaden benefits to programming that includes structuring humanitarian relief and development assistance in such a way as to reduce dependence on aid and support self-reliance for communities at the earliest opportunity. LRRD also includes components of risks reduction, vulnerability reduction, promoting of sustainable livelihoods and mainstreaming the human rights approach.

Rights Based Approach

All human beings have the right to a life in dignity. People who are oppressed, vulnerable and poor are not objects of charity but rights holders. The emphasis on human rights in the context of development helps us to focus on the structural inequalities that cause and perpetuate impoverishment and exclusion, so that the root causes of poverty and exclusion receive proper attention. within the Framework of International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), LWF Uganda raises awarenesses and advocates for people's rights at all levels. We assist communities to acquire knowledge and skills which leads to changed attitudes and transforming people into informed decision makers and active citizens. Active citizens are able to challenge policies or actions and existing structures on the basis of principles such as equality, inclussiveness, diversity and social justice.

LWF Uganda in Numbers

Kampala, Kitgum, Pader, Luuka, Kamwenge, Moyo, Lamwo and Adjumani

390 National & 7 International Staff

One of the longest-running LWF country programs

Our projects address the real needs and concerns of the poor and oppressed in Uganda